Last week, I visited one of the shops in the heart of the
NYC Plant District. They had very pretty plants on display, and I made a purchase there myself, but I must say it was a bit of a disappointing shopping experience. They are lucky that young cute Green
Phalaenopsis wrapped its healthy little green roots right around my heart.
Why? Well, let's first say that I was definitely in the market for a
Phalaenopsis orchid. I really wanted a lime green one like the ones I had been spying online. All of theirs were potted in soft clear pots very tightly packed in
Sphagnum Moss. Although this is not my favorite media, I do understand why stores pot them this way. This is done for the convenience of the shop, and as a way to preserve the plant's life during transport. This also usually means that the plants were grown somewhere else and shipped to their current location. The moss retains more moisture, and does not need to be watered as often. Many times, the same pot that it is purchased in is the same one it's been in all of its life. Often enough, the moss is broken down and gets soggy quite easily. This is simply what happens naturally to old moss. Many times the solution is to simply pack in more moss to balance the breakdown of the moss. Too much moisture at the roots yields conditions which promote rapid
Root Rot.
Root Rot is the most common killer of orchids among us beginners.
I was pleased that the pot was clear because it allowed me to take a peek at the roots. They were beautiful. I chose a pretty light Green
Phalaenopsis with a handful of unopened buds. I knew that the plant had not been receiving a lot of light since the leaves were a bit darker than the optimal grassy olive green color, but overall, the plant was in great shape. My only gripe was that I was able to discern that the plant had been moved several times while the flower spikes were growing so a couple of the flowers were facing away from the viewer and towards the back of the plant. I consider this a minor flaw because when it is time for its next bloom, under my care, I will take precautions to avoid this problem.
After I selected a plant I was happy with, I was asked if I wanted to buy a pot for it. The salesman even offered to repot it for me. I was shown a selection of about a half dozen beautiful, very fancy, and classy pots, some were rectangular and some round, but not a one had a drainage hole at the bottom, but they all did have an incredible price markup.
The man seemed a bit annoyed I was asking so many more questions than the average shopper, and when I refused to buy a pot without a drainage hole, he offered to sell me a plain clay pot, such as this one:
I don't even want to know what the asking price would've been. I, then, politely informed him I had one already so I would not need one at this time. One thing I will compliment them on is that he very skillfully and carefully wrapped up my orchid in satin paper, and then gingerly placed the plant inside of a roomy paper shopping bag. I was carrying numerous packages around with me for several hours, and when I finally arrived home, my orchid was flawlessly unscathed.
The experience I just described is not uncommon. And judging from my own research, it's actually not the worst, but about average. A lot of the store's salespeople are simply just that; salespeople. They are not trained in how to care for orchids, or any other plant for that matter. They are simply trained to say what customers want to hear in order to buy plants; they are easy to care for. The rest of the work is done by the beauty of the blooms on the plant. I imagine these stores never sell orchids when they are not in bloom.
I stated previously that the main problem for beginners is
Root Rot...
so, why is Root Rot so common? There are a few reasons, but the core problem is poor drainage, and limited aeration for the roots. Most stores that sell
Phalaenopsis orchids will simply tell you that all you need to do is water the plant once a week, and that they are low light plants. Low light really means indirect sunlight, but many of us laymen interpret low light as anything that is not bright sunlight. This is one of the first issues. There are
basic guidelines as far as light is concerned, but generally the leaf color is a great indicator (light colored leaves = adequate sunlight, dark leaves = insufficient sunlight, red tinges or brown spots = too much sunlight). Another method to test if the plant is receiving light that is too bright for it, or if the plant is overheating, is to simply feel the leaf. If it's hot to the touch, the plant should be moved to a shadier spot or a sheer curtain can be placed between the plant and the window to protect it from sunburn:
Make no mistake quality orchids are expensive, and unless you are a serious collector needing to trace the plant's exact genetic makeup, you will be like me, and a bargain cutie will seem irresistible. We are the reason why a lot of the home improvement stores, supermarkets, and mall kiosks are so good at selling
Phalaenopsis. If you do decide to buy from one of these stores, many times the orchid will come in a pretty opaque pot with no drainage holes. Orchids need holes in their pots not only to drain properly, but for those roots to get some air. In fact, a happy orchid will grow air roots:
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| Air roots live outside of the media |
Another reason for opaque pots at the average store is
how are you supposed
to inspect the roots if you can't see them? The answer is; you're not. This practice aids them in selling plants with problematic root systems to a less experienced shopper.
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| This is what healthy roots should look like |
The fact that many of these initial pots are opaque, also inhibit the roots from photosynthesizing the sunlight that they do receive. This all spells out even more trouble for our prospective
Phalaenopsis.
Unless you know an orchid hobbyist to advise you, please do some research before you buy, and don't be shy and closely inspect your chosen plant. But, let's face it, a lot of us are introduced to the hobby by a cute little plant working its magic on a store shelf. We really don't know too much about it the first time we buy it and we really care if it will take a bit of work because now we can rescue it. After all, Orchid lovers, are an altruistic bunch.
Generally, no one will tell you that
Phalaenopsis orchids are
epiphytes. The most important things to take away from that definition is that their roots need air, they don't like to be over-watered, and that they grow on trees, rocks, or other media, which allows for excellent drainage and aeration of the roots. Once we are armed with this information, we can choose a good potting mix, which allows for these conditions. As as beginner, I have been using the
Better Grow Phalaenopsis Mix. Since I only literally have a couple of plants, this mix will last me for a while, and is worth its price, but if you are growing in bulk, it may be wiser to make your own mix from fir bark, perlite, and charcoal. This type of mix is recommended for those of us which are prone to over-watering. But, if the opposite is true and you live in a very dry climate or can never remember to water your plants, then a primarily Sphagnum or Peat Moss may be a good way to go. However, there are a
lot of choices to experiment with so the main thing is to select the media which will fit into your lifestyle and climate.
Another thing that most plant salespeople neglect to tell us is that the media in the pot is simply somewhere for the plant to brace its roots, and a medium for the plant to absorb its moisture from, but its actual nutrition will come from the fertilizer you should be providing. I am not an expert on orchid fertilization, and there are plenty to choose from, but steer clear of fertilizers, which contain Urea. A liquid fertilizer specialized for orchids is best, but should be diluted to half of the indicated percentages, and fed on a weekly basis. On the 4th week of the month, or after 3 consecutive feedings (if watering once a week), the whole pot should be over-saturated with water to flush out any excess salts, which have stayed behind in the media from the consistent fertilizing.
A lot of stores only sell orchids in bloom, and those that die, wilt, or somehow don't look sales worthy, are quickly thrown in the trash. Many times they are watered on a set schedule, which suits the majority of the plants in the store, but not necessarily what an orchid requires. They are often irrigated with a large spray hose. This allows water to sit on foliage and inside the crown. If the day is not particularly sunny or hot, the environment becomes ideal to promote Crown Rot, which is another malady
Phalaenopsis orchids are rather inclined to:
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| Crown Rot |
Crown Rot will kill a plant fast if not stopped in its tracks promptly, and as with many other plant ailments, prevention is simply the best cure. Any decaying tissue will need to be removed entirely so large portions of the plant may be lost. The grower will then need to hope that the rot has not spread any further, and that no other problems arise now that the plant will not only have an open wound vulnerable to fungal or viral attack, but also has been stressed. Many hobbyists will use regular kitchen cinnamon powder on open wounds for its desiccating and disinfecting properties. Prior to using any cutting tools on a particular plant, they should be sterilized to avoid any cross contamination between plants. The best way to prevent Crown Rot is to simply not allow for water to remain on the foliage for an extended period of time. Good air circulation in general is crucial so that any water that does make it to the leaves during watering, quickly evaporates.
Since many store supplied pots don't have good drainage, or no holes at all, it is only natural that the roots will rot. When the stock goes down, they simply replenish it. They count on the fact that you, too, will kill your orchids, and will eventually come back and purchase a new plant once the first one has expired. Sadly, there really is no financial incentive for the stores to educate the average consumer, and many of us, end up killing numerous Orchid plants before we can ever dream of getting the hang of successfully growing one.
